This invention relates generally to hangers for article display and pertains more particularly to hangers adapted to engage articles at plural, spaced portions thereof
FIGS. 1-3 depict molded hanger 10 manufactured and sold by the assignee of the subject application. Hanger 10 is single-piece molded plastic body having a hook portion 12, a first clamp member 14 and a second clamp member 16 joined to one another by hinge portions 18 and 20. Clamp member 16 is folded about the hinge portions as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and latching member 22 formed on clamp member 14 passes through opening 24 of clamp member 16 and includes downwardly extending latch element or keeper (not shown) which maintains the clamp members in mutually abutting relation with gripping teeth 26 and 28, formed interiorly of the clamp members, in mutual engagement with an article (not shown) disposed therebetween.
The hanger of FIGS. 1-3 was made and sold with license under U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,043 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,563, both now expired.
The hanger of FIGS. 1-3 and the hangers disclosed in the two expired patents are for attachment to an article at a single location thereof, i.e., the hangers are individually and not jointly usable. On the other hand, the ""563 patent does contemplate that the clamps be jointly displayable. Thus, the ""563 patent discloses xe2x80x9ca passage or tunnel 25 opening through the ends of the clamp to receive a support such as the rod 26xe2x80x9d (Col. 2, ls. 8-9).
Applicants herein have noted a difficulty in use of the hanger of FIGS. 1-3, namely, that, where plural hangers, each supporting an article are applied to a display rod in dense packing, clamp members 14 of the clamps engage with latching members 22 of adjacent clamps, causing the clamp members to open and to fail to retain the articles therein for display.
The present invention has as its primary object the provision of improved hangers generally of the type shown in FIGS. 1-3, but which do not have the above-discussed difficulty in use.
A further object of the invention is to provide hangers of the foregoing type but adapted for attachment to an article at plural locations thereon.
A more particular object of the invention is to provide hangers having clamps configured to contain a first, thickened portion of an article therewithin and to grippingly engage the article at a less thick portion of the article.
In attaining the first-stated object, the invention provides a hanger for articles comprising a body defining a support element, first and second clamp members supported by the support element for pivotal closing movement onto one another and locking means for releasably retaining said first and second clamp members in mutually closed relation, the body further defining guard structure aside the locking means for limiting access thereto.
In attaining the second-stated object, the invention provides a hanger for articles comprising a body defining a support element having transversely spaced first and second ends, first and second clamp members supported by the support element respectively at the first and second ends thereof third and fourth clamp members joined respectively to the first and second clamp members and supported thereby for pivotal closing movement onto the first and second clamp members and first and second locking means for releasably retaining the first and third and the second and fourth clamp members in mutually closed relation, the body further defining guard structure aside each of the locking means for limiting access thereto.
The pivotal closing movements of the third clamp member onto the first clamp member and of the fourth clamp member onto the second clamp member are afforded by hinge sections joining the third and fourth clamp members respectively to the first and second clamp members. Each of the clamp members defines a free end and includes article gripping members at the free end.
In attaining the third above-stated object, the hanger of the invention spaces the gripping members of plural clamps from latching members of the clamps by a dimension corresponding to a dimension of a portion of an article having a first thickness, whereby the gripping members grip the article at a portion thereof of a second thickness, lesser than the first thickness.
The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will be further evident from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof and from the drawings in which like components are identified by like reference numerals throughout.